what a quack!

Finally got the Japanese book (ISBN483476348x) I've been coveting for 2 weeks from a local Mitsuwa. I really only wanted it for its duckie pattern.

I had to modify a bit the original pattern since the gargantuan head made him just a bit puffy and alien-y for me. I also had to soften its ridiculously angular wings and it looks like I might need to make smaller his feet just a tad. Overall I think the quack came out pretty darling.

how to pluck a kokeshi's eyebrows.

Here are some tricks to painting clean thin lines, especially for those delicate facial features on your small figurines.

Before painting on the bushy eyebrows below, I sealed the face with two coats of non-toxic varnish* and then lightly drew the features with a pencil.


With the paint dry and a damp pointed wooden tool (like a toothpick), carefully trim away rough edges of eyebrows. Keep scraping until you achieve the desired shape and use a damp cloth to wipe away smudges. You can use this subtractive technique for all the facial details. After completing the face, apply several more coats of varnish to seal your work but remember to erase first all your pencil marks. Viola! Now your gal's got the prettiest brows!

*Sealing the face with varnish makes the removal of paint possible since this prevents paint from seeping into the wood.

Nissa, Reidun, Winka - 2nd generation.

All decked out and Winka now with cool blue eyeshadow. In the past I've used wipe-on poly but these I sealed with water based varnish instead. It's definitely more user friendly, quick drying and forgiving, since it doesn't have the tacky quality common in oil based products. Unlike what I previously thought, it'll achieve an even coat even after several applications. It also helps to keep a wet edge, meaning don't go over what's just been painted, move forward so the work doesn't get streaky.

oh snap!

Heads are not secured yet with one coat of varnish. I painted the heads separately from the spools so the varnish doesn't pool around their necks. I also opted not to paint their bodies. I figured with the handling, it's better to leave these au natural. Plus, I kinda fancy the wood grain.

lollipops.

Thought I'd try my hands at painting kokeshis again. It's actually a lot easier to accomplish these fine lines with a soft, long liner brush than a short one. When working on small surfaces, I prefer the more intentional wrist rotation, which makes for steadier strokes. Since the longer brush has a greater span, it works best with this technique. With a short brush, the tendency is to move the hand with the application, which can cause work to get shifty.

at the park.

Wooden Dolls.

I see so many wonderful creations everywhere, everyday, it's finally time to speak, rave about a few of them...well particularly wooden dolls.

These adorable, giggly girls are handmade by Fabi Sehnem of Joinville, Brazil. Don't you just wanna rub and pinch their cheeks... again... and again.

While these beautiful belles are crafted by Renata of Creating from the Heart. Just the right kind of girls you can bring home to mom, polite, pretty and polished.

Perhaps the best is this brilliant, ultra hip kokeshi couple concocted by talented artist, Pamela Jaeger of San Diego and since she's featured in a gallery just a stone's throw from my home, I've had the pleasure of viewing her dolls in person. The detail work (those big eyes) is fantastic, very impressive!

Enjoy.

Endangered Dunnys.